2010 NBA Finals MVP Odds list Kobe Bryant as big favorite

NBA Finals betting action commences on Thursday night at Staples Center in what should be a fantastic series between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the superstars that this series has to offer, as we analyze what the NBA Finals MVP odds mean to each of these teams.

Kobe Bryant (-250 NBA Finals MVP Odds) – Here’s the reason that the Lakers are -190 favorites on the NBA Finals series lines to win it all. Bryant is an odds on favorite to win the MVP award in this series because of the fact that he simply does it all. Simply put: If it’s playoff time, it’s Kobe time. Bryant went off for 30+ points in four straight games against Phoenix in the Western Conference Finals, and that doesn’t even include his 40 point outburst in Game 1. Bryant is clutch and can hit shots from anywhere on the court whenever he pleases regardless of what defenders are in his face. If the Lakers are winning it all, it’s hard to see how anyone else can be the MVP in purple and gold.

Rajon Rondo (+100 NBA Finals MVP Odds) – Even though we think these are terrible odds on Rondo, it’s fairly clear that he is going to be one of the key cogs for HC Doc Rivers if the C’s are winning their second championship in the L/3 years. Rondo nearly averaged a triple-double in the series against the Cavaliers, but his matchup is going to be significantly tougher against the Lakers with G Derek Fisher guarding him. The Kentucky product had a hard time trying to get traction against Orlando, as he was non-existent for parts of that series. Still, as a dynamic four tool player, Rondo is good enough to go for 20+ points, 15+ assists, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ steals all on the same night, which makes him a great candidate to win the NBA Finals MVP award.

Paul Pierce (+500 NBA Finals MVP Odds) – If “The Truth” is served over these next couple of weeks, the Celtics are going to be in great shape. Pierce scored 30+ in two of the final three games against the Magic to lead the way through the Eastern Conference Finals. If there is a player on the Celtics roster that has the ability to take over a game the way that Kobe does, it’s Pierce. He is the captain of the team and will clearly have his number hanging in the hallowed rafters at the Garden when his career is over. Pierce had a pair of bad games against the Lakers in the regular season, scoring just 13.0 points per game in two Boston defeats. However, in the NBA Finals in 2008, the former Kansas Jayhawk stood toe to toe with Bryant and had significantly more efficient games, as he did in Game 1 when he scored 22 points on 7/10 shooting. Bryant scored 24 that day, but needed 26 shots from the field to get there. Pierce may be the man to really keep a close eye on for this award at relatively long odds.

NBA Betting: NBA’s Best ATS Playoff Teams

The 2010 NBA betting season is coming down the home stretch with only the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers series having gone undecided. The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and Orlando Magic have already punched their tickets to their respective conference finals.

With that being the case, I thought it would be interesting to see how these teams stack up against one another against the closing NBA point spreads in the post-season.

The best of the bunch has clearly been the Orlando Magic who have played a total of eight games and gone a sportsbook pummeling7-1 SU & ATS in those outings. The lone defeat came by a single bucket in Game 1 of their 1st round series against the division rival Charlotte Bobcats.

They’re average margin of defeat has been a whopping 17.2 PPG. It was clearly evident that Atlanta didn’t deserve to even share the same court with them after getting rolled up and smoked in all four battles. Orlando barely broke a sweat as it pummeled the Hawks by an average of 25.3 PPG.

The other team to make some nice coin for NBA bettors in the post-season has been the Steve Nash led Phoenix Suns. HC Alvin Gentry’s club has gone 8-2 SU & ATS in their ten games played against the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs.

Many had them pegged to once again fall to Tim Duncan and the Spurs in the teams Western Conference Semifinals match-up, but oddsmakers were correct in installing them the favorites after they pulled off the shocking sweep.

Since splitting its first four against the Blazers both SU & ATS, the Suns are currently on a six game winning streak both SU & ATS covering as favorites and underdogs three times each.

Like the Suns, the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers have only had to play ten games in the post-season after it just made quick work of the Utah Jazz in the 2nd round of the basketball betting playoffs.

Kobe and company got a much tougher test in the 1st round against the Oklahoma City Thunder evidenced by the fact that it took six games to dispose of Durant and company. Maybe Deron Williams and the Jazz expended too much energy in the 1st round vs. the Nuggets or the loss of Mehmut Okur was more of an issue against LA for it to be that easy. Regardless, you have to hand it to HC Phil Jackson’s crew for going into the Energy Solutions Arena, a place Utah stood 35-9 SU in at the onset of the series, and coming away with a pair of outright victories as short underdogs.

Though its series with Cleveland is still yet to be decided with Game 6 going Thursday night in Boston, the Celtics have been solid bets for their backers in the post-season. They’re 7-3 SU & ATS and just like in the regular season, they’ve continued to excel on the road going 3-2 SU & ATS as a visitor; most recently picking up a huge 120-88 outright road win and cover as 7.5 point underdogs in Game 5.

As for Cleveland, it’s been largely unimpressive and failed to live up to its top billing at the onset of the second season. It got tested mightily by #8 seeded Chicago in the 1st round, and though it only took five games to dispose of the Bulls, Cleveland managed covers in just two of the three games.

LeBron and company have gone just 3-6 ATS the nine times it was favored this post-season. They pounded the Celtics 124-95 as one-point underdogs in Game 3, and they find themselves in that exact same role heading into Thursday night’s game.

Can you say Game 7 Sunday? Be there or be square!

Cavs, Celtics and Magic top favorites to reach 2010 NBA Finals from East

With over half of the 2009-10 NBA regular season in the books, four clubs have separated themselves from the rest of the pack in the Eastern Conference. While it would be an upset if anyone other than the Cavaliers, Hawks, Celtics or Magic reached the NBA Finals from the East, there has been a lot of parity in this conference over the last few years. In the last 12 seasons, ten different franchises have won an Eastern Conference title.

The future of the franchise could be at stake in a free agent year for star forward Lebron James. The Cavs owned the NBA’s best record heading into the final weekend of January but a league-best mark a year ago wasn’t good enough to get beyond the conference finals. The club is hoping that center Shaquille O’Neal and the rest of the supporting cast can do enough to get James a title before his looming free agency decision. Cleveland should be able to finish with the top record in the East to gain home court advantage in the conference playoffs.

With an aging nucleus of star performers, Boston may not have too many more title runs left with its current roster. After a 23-5 start, Boston lost ten of its next 16 games. The Celtics are hoping that Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen will have enough left in the tank when the postseason rolls around. All-Star guard Rajon Rondo continues to emerge as one of the top young backcourt performers in the league to aid the veterans. Forward Rasheed Wallace should help the cause in the playoffs with his championship experience.

The defending Eastern Conference champions have also experienced a slump after jumping out to a quick start. Orlando went 24-8 to begin the year but the club posted a losing record (6-8) over its next 14 games. The Magic figured to have some issues after bringing in five new players for this season. The club is still looking for its proper rhythm due to the personnel adjustments. Star center Dwight Howard continues to be the top big man in the East. While he has lacked some consistency in his first season with the Magic, veteran Vince Carter could be a difference maker when the postseason rolls around.

The Bobcats are seeking their first trip to the postseason since entering the league in the 2004-05 season. The franchise has never won more than 35 games before but the ingredients are in place for Charlotte to be a tough out in the postseason. While the Bobcats are a modest 23-22 entering the final weekend of January, the squad has steadily improved as the season has progressed. The club has posted a 11-4 record since a 12-18 start. Head coach Larry Brown is one of the elite coaches in the history of the league. With a solid duo of Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace, Charlotte could make some noise this spring